Children have naturally active imaginations which lead to incredible creativity. While adults tend to become wrapped up in work schedules and “adulting”, children have free minds that are filled with the wonderful and inspired. They’re also pretty cute too. Just listening to a story about the purple puppy dog and his stinky hot dog breath is enough to put a smile on anyone’s face.
While anyone can enjoy the creative magic that children possess, sometimes it can be difficult for adults to raise such talented individuals if they don’t identify as creative themselves. Of course, no one wants to stifle their child’s creativity, but when it is hard to know how to cultivate the creative process, often parents tend to do so.
Let’s begin by exploring why kids are so creative. From a scientific perspective, adults learn to adapt to patterns that serve them well and learn to navigate through tough situations, social norms, and patterns that make them successful. Children are not constrained to these thought patterns. Their imaginations are free to push boundaries without fear of judgment or being unsuccessful. This freedom allows children to use their minds to create new universes, species, and even snacks. It is marvelous to watch the freedom of a child, but what happens when parents find it completely unrelatable?
If a child is extremely gifted and creative, sometimes parents are at a loss for how to keep their child occupied. Creative children often need more busywork to keep their minds engaged and parents are forced to tap into their creative mind to make activities for their child. While Mom Bloggers and art websites for kids seem to have this all figured out, the average parent struggles with this situation.
Other challenges include:
These challenges present themselves when parents are low on time. Creative children want their parents to be proud of them and engage with them, but oftentimes time is not on the side of the adult.
If a parent struggles with being creative and relating to the creativity of their child, may they take comfort in the fact that they are not alone. So many parents struggle with this exact situation and yet there is still a stigma around it. Thankfully, there are easy solutions to this common conundrum that will improve the lives of creative kids and their adults.
If there is still room for more creative ideas, check out Ruffbooks for new ideas every other week. Ruffbooks is an IOS app that can aid in the organization and digital storage of children’s art. Instead of struggling with how to save kids’ artwork, parents and teachers everywhere have been celebrating this new innovative art app. With features to create child artwork portfolios and the ability to order printed photo books, this app is truly a lifesaver for the creative child’s parent.